I was in conversations with university leadership yesterday, as I am on less interesting days. Robbins is very invested in Arizona basketball; there are a lot tentacles attached to it that his strategic plan depends on across the campus. The idea that he's secretly trying to undermine Sean Miller while telling his admins something else doesn't make any sense. I'm not on the "dark side", and I'm really skeptical of a conspiracy and ineptitude. The driving assumption seems to be that the NCAA is in a position to know more than the campus about the matter leading to Phelps' administrative leave. I don't think there are good reasons for buying that assumption. If anyone involved with this situation is inventing a reason to fire Phelps, or responding to timing based on unrelated matters like the FBI investigation, I personally don't think they'd survive that decision. Whether or not Sean Miller survives this development won't come down to a heavy-handed decision by an administrator. I don't know whether Miller will get past this, but I don't see any reason to assume he necessarily won't. A truly innocent Sean Miller is not someone university leadership wants to fire, as we've seen. And if someone in the athletics department is suspected of committing academic fraud, the consequences aren't the sole discretion of the AD.
Firing anyone is indicative of a department in chaos and disarray. Just not a good look.
Much better to just slowly remove all of his power, responsibilities, and perks until he quits in disgrace.
Of the 12 coaches, Rush picked the one whose fans have the deepest passion, the longest memories, the greatest lung capacity and … did I mention deep passion?
Longhorned wrote:A truly innocent Sean Miller is not someone university leadership wants to fire, as we've seen.
Sure, primarily because they literally can't afford to fire him due to monetary reasons.
That's true in ways that go far beyond his salary alone. Leaders in the colleges know that, let alone the campus and the university (which includes Phoenix).
Longhorned wrote:A truly innocent Sean Miller is not someone university leadership wants to fire, as we've seen.
Sure, primarily because they literally can't afford to fire him due to monetary reasons.
That's true in ways that go far beyond his salary alone. Leaders in the colleges know that, let alone the campus and the university (which includes Phoenix).
Yup. If the boosters backed firing him it would've already been done IMO.
Longhorned wrote:A truly innocent Sean Miller is not someone university leadership wants to fire, as we've seen.
Sure, primarily because they literally can't afford to fire him due to monetary reasons.
That's true in ways that go far beyond his salary alone. Leaders in the colleges know that, let alone the campus and the university (which includes Phoenix).
Yup. If the boosters backed firing him it would've already been done IMO.
If he didn't have the backing, I don't know how he'd have survived the ESPN story. I sort of wonder if this isn't intended to force him into a mutual resignation.
Longhorned wrote:A truly innocent Sean Miller is not someone university leadership wants to fire, as we've seen.
Sure, primarily because they literally can't afford to fire him due to monetary reasons.
That's true in ways that go far beyond his salary alone. Leaders in the colleges know that, let alone the campus and the university (which includes Phoenix).
Yup. If the boosters backed firing him it would've already been done IMO.
If he didn't have the backing, I don't know how he'd have survived the ESPN story. I sort of wonder if this isn't intended to force him into a mutual resignation.
I don't see him walking away, the man has too much pride.
The real key of why Sean Miller still has a job is Dave Heeke and Robbins wanted to get rid of Rich Rod and pay him an exorbitant amount of money to go away as opposed to waiting until he was cheaper to buy out. That buy out meant we couldn't afford a Miller buyout without booster support.
Longhorned wrote:A truly innocent Sean Miller is not someone university leadership wants to fire, as we've seen.
Sure, primarily because they literally can't afford to fire him due to monetary reasons.
That's true in ways that go far beyond his salary alone. Leaders in the colleges know that, let alone the campus and the university (which includes Phoenix).
Yup. If the boosters backed firing him it would've already been done IMO.
If he didn't have the backing, I don't know how he'd have survived the ESPN story. I sort of wonder if this isn't intended to force him into a mutual resignation.
Who would want him to resign? The gist of the recent sports articles have been that the university is facing a risk by keeping him in place. I think that's sensationalist, as is pointing to the ABOR agendas to imply that something is bubbling over.
If Miller is fired for cause, he will receive 85 percent of the money remaining on his deal, which runs through the 2021-22 season, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell. Miller received a raise last February that brought his annual compensation to $2.9 million and, as of this weekend, left $12 million on his deal. That means he'd receive about $10.3 million if fired.
Glad to hear the boosters are behind Miller. Just have to wonder how we screwed this thing up. So depressing
Waiting at the Rose Bowl patiently for the cats to arrive
"I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more wildcat sports"
2019 BDW Survivor Pool Champion
This has always been the next step...the boosters play into this much stronger than some realize. Heeke has no terra firma here without some money to build stability. There is a strong sentiment of "fuck the NCAA", let's not fold this winning hand, the worst that can happen is what is going to happen anyway. The NCAA isn't as powerful as the Tark days, but there is some strong sentiment that we'd rather go out like Tark than tear this apart with what we have in place for the next couple of years.
It isn't the Lute era, for sure, but we might as well don the black hat and take this to whatever end is there.
As for Lute...don't think it was for nothing that he followed through and was there last night. He isn't there every game...it's alsoinevitable. But he was there. And his support carries. A Players Program...
It ain't over. We'll know a lot more this weekend.
Talking gobs of shit out of both sides of your mouth on the Internet doesn’t make you a booster. Sorry sparky.
Of the 12 coaches, Rush picked the one whose fans have the deepest passion, the longest memories, the greatest lung capacity and … did I mention deep passion?
I’m with Miller too. I’ve still yet to see something that directly implicates him.
Still waiting for the other shoe to drop, but as it stands, I’m starting to think this is going to blow over, however roughly. The negative press is annoying AF, and it makes you wonder how UNC emerged from their shitstorm unscathed. But if the short term Hope is that Miller remains coach and our ‘19 class is unaffected, that still feels likely.
UNC survived because it’s a blue blood in a cash cow conference.
Of the 12 coaches, Rush picked the one whose fans have the deepest passion, the longest memories, the greatest lung capacity and … did I mention deep passion?
Heeke has a personality conflict with Miller, feels he has less power and as an AD should not. I believe this happened to Lute once during his reign at Arizona, hence the show of support for Miller. If true, we will know more when the booster meet with Robbins, the person that is should be nervous as well is Heeke since IMHO is the leak with Phelps.
Azgirl wrote:Heeke has a personality conflict with Miller, feels he has less power and as an AD should not. I believe this happened to Lute once during his reign at Arizona, hence the show of support for Miller. If true, we will know more when the booster meet with Robbins, the person that is should be nervous as well is Heeke since IMHO is the leak with Phelps.
All of this.
Just read between the lines. Lots of people talk, but people rarely say a word...
Azgirl wrote:Heeke has a personality conflict with Miller, feels he has less power and as an AD should not. I believe this happened to Lute once during his reign at Arizona, hence the show of support for Miller. If true, we will know more when the booster meet with Robbins, the person that is should be nervous as well is Heeke since IMHO is the leak with Phelps.
Remember when Livengood wanted to get rid of the old cactus logo, and Lute said no?
Good god, I had completely excised the Chris Rodgers insanity from my memory banks. And people think the weirdness and malcontents started in the Miller era?
EVCat wrote:This has always been the next step...the boosters play into this much stronger than some realize. Heeke has no terra firma here without some money to build stability. There is a strong sentiment of "fuck the NCAA", let's not fold this winning hand, the worst that can happen is what is going to happen anyway. The NCAA isn't as powerful as the Tark days, but there is some strong sentiment that we'd rather go out like Tark than tear this apart with what we have in place for the next couple of years.
It isn't the Lute era, for sure, but we might as well don the black hat and take this to whatever end is there.
As for Lute...don't think it was for nothing that he followed through and was there last night. He isn't there every game...it's alsoinevitable. But he was there. And his support carries. A Players Program...
It ain't over. We'll know a lot more this weekend.
Let's give it another year, screw it. He's got the players, let them fight.
Azgirl wrote:Heeke has a personality conflict with Miller, feels he has less power and as an AD should not. I believe this happened to Lute once during his reign at Arizona, hence the show of support for Miller. If true, we will know more when the booster meet with Robbins, the person that is should be nervous as well is Heeke since IMHO is the leak with Phelps.
What leak with Phelps? They told the media they were firing Phelps? That would come out in due time
2018 Bear Down Wildcats Conference Championship Challenge Champion
Ummm...thats like saying Noah saved an extra set of unicorns and Bigfoots on the ark...we are talking about mythical creatures here...espn does not have reporters.
I want to sincerely thank a few posters (as well as yell at one or two others) in this thread. Not going to single out names, you all know who you are.
Every time I wish that I could quit you BDW - you always reel me back in. Gracias.
“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”
“The reality is that the hardest games to win are over teams on their home court. Teams that don’t play those games can spin it however they want, but what they’re saying is, ‘We don’t want to lose in our non conference season.’" - Sean Miller
Didn’t watch (4:30am start here) . . . but the box score tells the tale. There hasn’t been an Arizona team this incompetent in a long time. The one guy in the active roster who was pimped as an nba level talent went 1-6, continuing a string of poor performances. I don’t know if it felt like the team gave up, but I do know it wouldn’t have made a difference if it did. We are familiar with the hopeless feeling a younger brother has when playing (or fighting) a years-older brother. Just not in this sport. But we know what it looks like. You can Bear Down all you want, but when the talent deficit is this great, it just doesn’t matter. At least it looks like Doutrive got some run and had some impact even if he had to take a lot of shots to get his.
Alieberman wrote:This team has quit on Miller. I think Miller has quit on this team as well.
No AZ team should ever lose to Wash St at home.
This is bullshit, we knew from the start of the season it would be a down year, and then Miller himself said this team was not good, so to suggest that anyone has given up is to believe that any other results were going to be available, they were not.
No one has given up its just a matter of a very inexperienced group of guys going through a very rough patch...how many layups under the rim were missed tonite? How many threes has Barcello missed, nothing new here it just feels worse since WSU has been abysmal for about a thousand years...don't forget they beat the shit out of ASU a few days ago.
Yeah I didn’t see anyone giving up. They look like they’ve had a tough week. Or weeks really.
Plus at this point it’s about trying to win four games (or three in 3 if lucky) in 4 days in Vegas. Get healthy, get lucky and who knows...anything can happen.
Miller looks unhappy as I’d expect him to be. He and Phelps worked their asses off to get players on the floor and had no margin for injuries, transfers or suspensions. They’ve also never worked harder than to get next years group in Tucson. Suddenly you’re down the #1 recruiter in the country who lined up the incoming #1 class with an AD that’s making moves to put you in the crosshairs and you have to coach down a man and you have to sit in a presser to be asked the same stupid shit you can’t comment on while your AD suddenly is auditioning for saving his own job at halftime.
Good times.
I fly like a hawk, or better yet an eagle--a seagull. I sniff suckers out like a beagle...My ego is off and running and gone, Cause I'm about the best and if you diss than that's wrong
ByJoveByJingle wrote:Didn’t watch (4:30am start here) . . . but the box score tells the tale. There hasn’t been an Arizona team this incompetent in a long time. The one guy in the active roster who was pimped as an nba level talent went 1-6, continuing a string of poor performances. I don’t know if it felt like the team gave up, but I do know it wouldn’t have made a difference if it did. We are familiar with the hopeless feeling a younger brother has when playing (or fighting) a years-older brother. Just not in this sport. But we know what it looks like. You can Bear Down all you want, but when the talent deficit is this great, it just doesn’t matter. At least it looks like Doutrive got some run and had some impact even if he had to take a lot of shots to get his.
We’ve had players in the past who knew when they shot the ball that it was going in. They knew it in their fucking heart.
And if it didn’t? They knew the next one was going in. They fucking knew it like I know that 1+3 equals 4.
This team, from top to bottom, has players who HOPE the ball MIGHT go in. And when it doesn’t? Well, I guess that’s just how it goes...
Of the 12 coaches, Rush picked the one whose fans have the deepest passion, the longest memories, the greatest lung capacity and … did I mention deep passion?
ByJoveByJingle wrote:Didn’t watch (4:30am start here) . . . but the box score tells the tale. There hasn’t been an Arizona team this incompetent in a long time. The one guy in the active roster who was pimped as an nba level talent went 1-6, continuing a string of poor performances. I don’t know if it felt like the team gave up, but I do know it wouldn’t have made a difference if it did. We are familiar with the hopeless feeling a younger brother has when playing (or fighting) a years-older brother. Just not in this sport. But we know what it looks like. You can Bear Down all you want, but when the talent deficit is this great, it just doesn’t matter. At least it looks like Doutrive got some run and had some impact even if he had to take a lot of shots to get his.
We’ve had players in the past who knew when they shot the ball that it was going in. They knew it in their fucking heart.
And if it didn’t? They knew the next one was going in. They fucking knew it like I know that 1+3 equals 4.
This team, from top to bottom, has players who HOPE the ball MIGHT go in. And when it doesn’t? Well, I guess that’s just how it goes...
Yeah, that's why I laugh when the discussion turns to ineffective coaching. There is nothing a coach can do when there is no capacity for being coached. You can't coach this situation up. Miller surely has coaching deficiencies, but this team is only evidence of what happens when you put yourself in a bad position that a vindictive, biased media can take advantage of . . . and you are left standing among the fallout after the meteor hits your program.
Alieberman wrote:This team has quit on Miller. I think Miller has quit on this team as well.
No AZ team should ever lose to Wash St at home.
This is bullshit, we knew from the start of the season it would be a down year, and then Miller himself said this team was not good, so to suggest that anyone has given up is to believe that any other results were going to be available, they were not.
No one has given up its just a matter of a very inexperienced group of guys going through a very rough patch...how many layups under the rim were missed tonite? How many threes has Barcello missed, nothing new here it just feels worse since WSU has been abysmal for about a thousand years...don't forget they beat the shit out of ASU a few days ago.
Of course we knew it would be a Down year but our roster still has 4 and 5 star players.... does Washington St have a single player we would have recruited?
Our team literally does nothing well and not a single player has improved from the start of the season until now and most have actually regressed. I’ve never seen anything like this on an Arizona basketball squad